How Is Jem Presented In To Kill A Mockingbird

Jem is described as a very peculiar character. From Scout’s eyes we, as readers, can identify what personality traits and characteristics Jem has. He is shown to be a masked, figure, hiding his own fears to act more valiant or noble. With the use of characterization, readers can visualize and depict what kind of person and character that Jem is. Readers catch this in chapter four, when Jem, Scout, and Dill are creating the “Boo Radley” game. “Jem’s head at times was transparent; he had thought that up to make me understand he wasn’t afraid of Radley’s in any shape or form, to contrast his own fearless heroism with my cowardice”(Lee 43). Despite Jem’s deceptive and misleading character, it is aforementioned that Jem is a “normal” kid. He loves playing football, climbing trees, and getting rough and dirty.

This attitude was very common, as woman and girls were treated as though men were the supreme or superior gender. However, the readers cannot blame Jem for this as this was the time frame that he grew up with, along with having slaves and not giving rights to blacks. Moreover, from the quote, readers can identify, with the use of words such as “transparent” and “fearless heroism”, that Jem is a very obnoxious or disingenuous. The author makes it very clear that Jem is a very ambitious and almost controlling person. He is assertive, and listens to society’s roles tremendously, and it very much has contrived who he is. Through Scout’s eyes, we are able to imagine who Scout is as a person, and as an elder brother. It leaves the reader with many questions. What does a younger, female sister do when faced with an older, male-dominant brother? Is it harder? How was Jem exposed to social norms as a